BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | The new bike path along River Road in Calverton.

From the time Riverhead Town was awarded a $3.15 million grant for a biking and jogging path stretching from Calverton and Northville, it took almost four years to get the project started.

But it took only six months to actually build the path. (Click on the map below.)

The state Department of Transportation finished the job this summer, according to DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters. Construction began in March of this year and, Ms. Peters said this week, was completed by Aug. 1.

The town received $3.15 million in federal stimulus funds in July 2009 for the alternative transportation path, which runs from Pier Avenue in Northville to Wading River-Manor Road in Calverton, while connecting with existing state and county bike routes.

After winning the award, the town spent about three years designing and engineering the project, according to Supervisor Sean Walter, who said all of those costs were covered by the grant.

“In September 2012, the state Department of Transportation offered to do the job, so we turned the remaining grant money over to them,” Mr. Walter said.

At that time, the town had been planning to seek bids on the project.

“I think the project is great,” said Nick Attisano, owner of Twin Forks Bicycles in downtown Riverhead. “Anything they can do to make it safer for cyclists and families to ride on the road is an improvement.”

Mr. Attisano said he thinks the path needs to be better publicized so that more people will use it.

The town’s alternative transpiration committee recently published a brochure showing the various bike paths in Riverhead.